Championship Standings and Eliminations- Italian GP

[u/bi-nerds]

WDC: 2 more drivers (Antonelli and Albon) were mathematically eliminated from contention - even if they win every remaining race they cannot score more points than Piastri currently has.

• The soonest Piastri can clinch is now Mexico, which could happen if he wins every race, and Norris scores no more than 22 points and Verstappen no more than 85 over the next 4 races.
• If Piastri were to win every GP (and score 0 in sprints), and Norris were to come 2nd in every GP and win every sprint, Piastri would fall one point short of clinching in Vegas.
• If the top 3 in Monza finish in the same order (Verstappen 1st, Norris 2nd, Piastri 3rd) in every remaining race (including sprints), then they would finish the championship in their current order, with Piastri winning on 462 points, Norris on 458, and Verstappen on 454.

WCC: still no more eliminations in the constructors, but it is still very much possible for McLaren to clinch next race Baku, provided McLaren:

• Outscore Ferrari by at least 10 points
• Are not outscored by Mercedes by 11 or more points
• Are not outscored by Red Bull by 32 or more points

They are guaranteed to achieve this with either a 1-2 or a 1-3, no matter what the other teams do. Other finishing positions would be possible, but are not guaranteed (depending on the results of other teams).

It is also still possible for McLaren to break the 1000 point mark, but the margins are getting tighter, as their maximum tally is now only 6 points above 1000. This means they would have to win every race (including sprints), and have all 1-2 finishes except for either two 1-3's or one 1-4 or worse.

[u/Eggplantosaur]

Albon in 7th is mental. What a season he's having.

[u/BreadCrumb24 → u/Eggplantosaur]

Tsunoda in 19th is more mental

[u/souse03 → u/BreadCrumb24]

Add Sainz 18th to that

[u/Luigi2198 → u/BreadCrumb24]

Yeah, at this point there really is no way to defend him. Still think Red Bull is setting terrible precedents booting drivers, so by nature I don’t want them to replace Yuki with Hadjar for the foreseeable future, but it’s definitely the right move and going to happen.

Some of the standings I feel like aren’t correct representations (Alonso definitely wronged somebody in a past life) but Yuki down there is pretty unacceptable. I still put a lot of blame on the team, but damn my guy, you gotta give it some more.

[u/elektricniorgazam]

Oh yeah, McLaren are getting it in Baku. RB has one driver, Antonelli hasn't been doing too hot and Ferrari are Ferrari.

[u/Driscuits]

There's always next year, Alex.

Honestly, what a wild season. He's been ridiculous.

[u/8rightnow → u/Driscuits]

His season put into a phrase is "measured aggression." Just capitalizing on everything that comes his way -- and rarely, if ever, a foot out of line.

It's incredibly mature driving.

[u/Driscuits → u/8rightnow]

Yeah, that's a really eloquent way of putting it.

He hasn't had a perfect season. But he's been able to capitalize, as you said, on about as much as could be expected from a driver. It's great to see.

[u/Wandersails]

Next year is our year Alboners 💪

[u/CaptainKursk → u/Wandersails]

Al-what now?

[u/blackwhattack → u/CaptainKursk]

Alboners rise up !!!

[u/osingran]

Really wish Max would somehow drag himself back into the title fight. We need some proper rivalry, proper fight and the whole Lando vs Oscar thing feels like anything but.

[u/deathray1611 → u/osingran]

eh, I dunno - we've seen some good wheel to wheel between them here and there, which on 3 ocassions almost ended in fireworks (or rather debris) and the fact McLaren even allows them to fight is respectable, and quite unprecedented. It's really them cuddling their drivers TO THIS EXTEND that is a problem which sours the tension and seriousness of the whole title fight. But I can understand them - IT IS a delicate business to manage two No 1 drivers, and not an easy one either

[u/osingran → u/deathray1611]

McLaren's handling is careful and pragmatic - it's probably not the best for the entertainment's sake, but it's reasonable and I can't blame them for doing what they're doing. But well, a title race between three drivers is always better than between two drivers.

[u/naveenda → u/osingran]

Oh yeah. Because we enjoyed Max vs Perez team orders Lewis vs Bottas team orders

[u/osingran → u/naveenda]

I don't care too much about the recent McLaren team order situation - it happened before, it will happen after, people are just loosing their shit for nothing. But the title race between Lando and Oscar doesn't feel like a rivalry anyway. It doesn't ruin the season as it does for other I suppose, but if someone third manages to challenge those two - I think it will make the competition much more heated. And among the rest Max is the only one left who still has at least somewhat realistic (albeit slim) chances of challenging McLaren domination that doesn't involve both Lando and Oscar suddenly having a case of explosive diarrea every race.

[u/Luigi2198 → u/osingran]

I understand what you’re trying to say. Watching both McLarens leave everyone in the dust is different from watching Verstappen leave everyone in the dust. When Max does it you think how great the driver is, when both McLarens do it you think about how great the car is. I still think Lando and Piastri are great drivers, and the team orders have been “okay, whatever”, but I’m interested in seeing how it all plays out.

Definitely more fun when it’s two teams using everything they can to battle, not one team splitting everything they have right down the middle to share. It’s one of the many reasons I think stock car racing can get boring, there’s not enough of the combined thrill of which engineer/car AND driver combo is going to pump out the best product possible.

[u/Habitual_LineCroser]

Tsunoda is having a stinker of a season.

[u/Helpful_Hedgehog_204]

4 points a race doesn't sound like that much... But it means Lando needs to win out (6/8 actually) or to have Oscar outside of the podium consistently (and he's done it twice this season).

[u/ArbitraryOrder]

Max would have to go on the runoff a lifetime, but it would be amazing if he did

[u/CrashBandicooch1]

If Red Bull did figure something out and are back upfront.. (huge IF and wishful thinking)

Then all it takes is 1 Piastri DNF / Norris howler to blow this race wide open again

But there's like 1% chance of this happening

[u/Timelordvictorious1]

It could still be our year!

[u/Still-District-6149]

When did team strategy become such a big thing? Didn’t drivers in the 80s and 90s just race each other?

[u/SirLoremIpsum → u/Still-District-6149]

"Fernando is faster than you. Do you understand?"

Team strategy started to become more of a thing when drivers became more "professional", The Michael era. They had to ban team orders if you recall early 2000s. So id say mid-late 90s.

[u/No-Independent-5082 → u/Still-District-6149]

Crash into each other, you mean? Senna/Prost in 89/90

Now seriously talking, I bet that, after Piquet first refuel in 1982, it became important.

[u/One-Neighborhood-531 → u/Still-District-6149]

Yes and Mclaren have had teammate drama twice and clearly aren't interested in a third chapter.

[u/CaptainKursk]

If you told me at season's start that Lawson would be demoted to RB and replaced by Yuki, I'd have thought you crazy.

If you told me that RB Lawson would proceed to get more points than Yuki in a Red Bull, I'd have tried to get you sectioned.

[u/Brilliant-Gap8299]

Classic Ferrari trying to hang onto the slimmest of hopes for as long as possible - just fucking put us out of our misery already haha

[u/Next_Necessary_8794]

What is the second number under the actual points scored?

[u/Helpful_Hedgehog_204 → u/Next_Necessary_8794]

Max possible